Wellness WORD Health And Fitness Tips

The Atkins diet resurfaces from hibernation once again! This time a study was conducted comparing the Atkins Diet to the Zone, Ornish, and the LEAN (Lifestyle, Exercise, Attitudes, Relationships and Nutrition) Diet. Which do you think produced the greater body weight loss throughout the 1 year study?

During the study, 311 overweight women, aged 19 to 50, were divided into four groups. Each of them followed a different diet for one year (12 months). The groups consisted of the Atkins, the Zone, the Ornish and LEARN.  In case you are not aware, the Atkins Diet follows a very low carbohydrate, higher fat, and protein regimen. The Zone follows a 40% carboyhdrate, 30% protein, and 30% fat plan. Meanwhile, the Ornish weight loss plan focuses on high fiber, low-fat vegetarian eating. Finally, the LEARN Diet Plan follows a low fat, high carbohydrate plan. Which worked best to strip the fat with the least amount of medical side effects (higher cholesterol, higher blood pressure, etc.)?

The Results Of The Diet Study - After a year following the diet, the 77 women on the Atkins Diet lost on average 10.3 pounds compared to The LEARN Diet 5.7 pounds, The Ornish 4.8 pounds, and finally The Zone 3.5 pounds lost.  The interesting thing is the Atkins group saw the greatest improvement in blood pressure, HDL cholesterol, triglycerides, and body mass index. All of these variables are an indication of good health.

My 2 Cents - We can all conclude that the Atkins fat loss plan works, at least for the first 12 months. It is interesting to note that the Atkins diet group lost most of the weight in the first 6 months, and then weight loss really slowed off. It goes back to what I have been saying all along; is this a nutritional program that you can faithfully stay on the rest of your life? What are the long term implications? Does fat loss come to a complete halt at 24 months? Can a person stay disciplined enough to eat less than 50 grams of carbs per day, everyday for the rest of their lives? What are the long term implications of the diet regarding blood pressure, cholesterol, body fat percentage, etc? Once again, I must say more needs to be studied. I’m sure you will continue hearing about the Atkins for some time. Hey, I would like to see this study extended longer, and include diets such as the South Beach Diet. I would also love to see people incorporate consistent exercise in this study. I bet the weight loss would have increase even more!

It just seems all these diets are missing one key component - behavior modification. In my opinion, you want to be on a healthy eating plan for the rest of your life. That type of plan migh demand a greater amount of complex carbs, but they are guaranteed to work long term. It is important to think long term, life long behavior modification, and not just 1 year of dieting. I guarantee most of these people will gain every single pound back, and more.

One again, it goes back to what I have always recommended.

1) Monitor your calories on a regular basis.  Be aware to keep things in check.
2) Keep high glycemic sugars to a minimum - simple sugars
3) Keep carbs around 40-50 percent of your diet
4) Eat a lower fat (saturated fat) diet. 20% of diet
5) Eat lower saturated fat protein sources. 30% of diet
6) Set up an eating plan you can continue for a lifetime - behavior mod
7) Limit portion size which keeps calories in check
Exercise regularly - A program for life.
9) Be patient with your weight loss - 1-2 pounds each week maximum. Remember, it is a lifetime of maintenance.

Another interesting side note from the study is the LDL “bad” cholesterol in the Atkins group didn’t decrease while the other groups did. However, the LDL seemed to level out for all diets to not much of a positive effect by the end of the study.

I’m sure the diet debate will continue to rage on. However, I can conclude after reviewing numerous studies that the Atkins appears to be safe, and effective on at short term basis (12 months) only. More needs to be studies long term. Until then, focus your mind on long term, lifelong nutritional behavior modification.

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No wonder why people seem to get heavier, and heavier. Just open your eyes at a theme park; and you will see what I am talking about. We all know it is portion size, and not knowing exacting how many calories we are putting in our mouths.

Remember, it is a restaurants goal to have you walk out feeling very satisfied. If that includes putting sticks of butter into the recipe, then so be it. The restaurants goal is for you to tell your friends, and come back for more. In 2007, as a result of strick time constraints, people are eating out more than ever. This results in eating more calories which translates into larger waistlines.

One recent study revealed some of the “eating out” meals contain over 2,000 calories,  and we don’t even know it. One hamburger company has a burger which is close to 2,000 calories, and that is even without the fries. Wow! It is equivalent to eating five McDonalds quarter pounders. The sad thing is we don’t even realize how many calories are being taking in.

The moral of the story is BE AWARE. I guarantee you, if you are eating out often, you are taking in more calories than you need. Be an intelligent, healthy diner. You have been warned!

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BEWARE!  There has been a recent study to suggest a lot of people have been sick resulting from the build up of bacteria on dish sponges. The study also stated you can put the sponges in the microwave to kill all the bacteria; thus, preventing you from getting sick.

But BEWARE!  You MUST have the sponge soaked in water before putting it in the microwave. Don’t, I repeat DON’T put the sponge in the microwave dry. This is shown to burn up the sponge, and possibly cause a fire. This is with only 2 minutes in the microwave. Just remember to WET the sponge prior to placing it in the microwave.

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From time to time fitness enthusiast end up with a pulled muscle. The first thing you want to do is not panic. It can happen if you are working out at a high intensity. However, if you are properly warmed up, and using good form, chances of a strained muscle are slim.

When you feel your muscle is aching all you need to do is use the R.I.C.E. principle. Rest it, ice it, compress it, and elevate it. There is no other magic.  It is recommended to ice the injured muscle for 15 minutes once an hour for the first few hours. This will help increase blood flow to the injury, and keep swelling down. It is also recommended to keep the injured muscle elevated above your heart.

It is a very good idea to avoid all physical activity until you are pain free. Participating too soon may re-injure the muscle. I also recommed to avoid as much pain medication as possible. With pain medication people have a tendency to over extend themselves without feeling the bodies natural signal - pain.

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How many growth hormone claims have you seen tied to setting back the biological clock? The claims have sprouted all over in the last decade as our population continues to grow older. As people grow older, they still want to preserve the same quality of life they had in the fifties, sixties, and seventies. Therefore, Human Growth Hormone to the rescue! Maybe not!

It is estimated that between 25,000 and 30,000 Americans used human growth hormone in 2004 in an attempt to turn back the clock. According to a recent study on elderly individuals, HGH doesn’t turn back the clock. It was shown to increase muscle tissue, and decrease fat, but it did not have an effect on bone density, lipid profiles, or other fitness related measures. The conclusion is growth hormone does not help you live longer. The long term use risks are not completely understood at the present time. BEWARE!

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One of the biggest complaints I hear from training clients is their metabolism is too slow. They are frustrated because fat isn’t falling off of them. After their thyroid has been checked I always recommend a few tips to ignite their metabolisms.

1. Weight train.  The more muscle you put on your body, the faster your metabolism will be. Thus, the more fat you will burn.

2. Eat more than 5 small meals a day. Now these meals should not be based on simple carbohydrates, but complex carbs, and protein. Make sure to keep these meals small, and calorie friendly.

3. Do cardiovascular training on a regular basis. It is also important to be consistent on your training. This will also help ignite your fat burning fire.

By following these three simple tips, you are guaranteed to ignite your metabolism to its very own peak potential.

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Paying attention to blood sugar levels are no longer just for people with diabetes, but suggested for the whole population. Recent studies from The U.S., Denmark, and Australia show the amount of glucose, or sugar in the blood, can influence everything from your weight to your risk of developing heart disease, stroke, and cancer.

Here are a couple of tips to prevent your blood sugar levels from skyrocketing.

1. Pay attention to the Glycemic Index. You can get a calculated number of how high your blood sugar rises within 2 hours after eating 50 grams of a particular food.  Visit glycemic index for more information.

2. My preferred stategy is to consume less processed foods, low in sugar, and high in fiber. If you stick to this, you blood sugar will be very happy.

3. Another tip is to sprinkle cinnamon on higher glycemic foods. Several studies show that cinnamon lowers blood sugar and improves insulin resistance.

4. Exercise portion contol.

5. Eat lean protein with each meal.

By following these tips your blood sugar levels will be stable leading to a healthier, leaner body.

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Another star for dark chocolate! Study after study seems to show the important health benefits of dark chocolate. Now this isn’t a ticket to go ahead and eat chocolate bar after chocolate bar. However, a small amount of dark chocolate, two tablespoons each day, seems to have an aspirin like effect on the blood. The chemical in cocoa beans has a biochemical effect similar to aspirin in reducing platelet clumping, which can be fatal if a clot forms and blocks a blood vessel, causing a heart attack.

Once again, it is important to stress small portions of chocolate. If large daily portions are eaten its health benefits go south from the increase weight gain, and high saturated fat consumption.

Please note: eating small amounts of dark chocolate is only one healthy habit. It is wise to combine numerous healthy habits all together to reap fantastic health and longevity results.

To find out more information about specific name brand chocolate bars click on dark chocolate reviews.

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A research study was just released from Harvard indicating pre-menopausal women who had eaten one and one half servings of red meat daily had doubled their risk of getting breast cancer compared to women who had eaten three servings of red meat per week.

Once again, here is another study showing red meat in consistent quantities may be detrimental to our health. I  stand by my statement of eating a balanced low fat, low sugar, moderate carbohydrate diet keeping a keen eye on caloric intake.

The bottom line: Don’t overdue it on red meat!

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Surprise! Surprise!  The low carbohyrate diet news is back again. The reason the low carb diet buzz fizzled was the talk of being unhealthy due to high amount of fat intake. It was believed that high fat intake showed a greater risk for hardening of the arteries which can lead to heart disease.

Researchers from Harvard just completed a 20 year study of 82,802 women looking at the correlation between low carbohydrate diets, and heart disease. The study concluded no apparent increased risk of heart disease for those who stuck to a low carbohydrate, high fat, and high protein diet.

What was even more fascinating is when the participants made low fat protein choices such as vegetables, and consumed low fat meats, their coronary heart disease risk may be cut by as much as 30%.

The bottom line - There is no apparent difference in the risk of coronary heart disease from low carb, high protein, high fat diets versus high carbohydrate, and low fat diets. I believe it all comes down to the amount of calories you are taking in per day which can promote obesity leading to heart issues. However, I do recommend considering low fat protein sources if you wish to follow a traditional low carb, high protein, higher fat diet. Consume good fats. Avoid the protein sources which are loaded with saturated, and trans fat.

Let’s keep researching this topic to see which diet is really better for our health, if indeed one actually is.

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